STILL POND — A rescue near here on Saturday morning, July 4 is a cautionary tale of why swimming is prohibited in the area, according to the director of Kent County’s Department of Parks & Recreation.
A man and his juvenile son were pulled out of the water by two boaters near the Coast Guard station.
The incident played out at Still Pond Station, a public waterfront recreational park in the 24000-block of Still Pond Neck Road that is owned and managed by Kent County.
Swimming is prohibited here because of dangerous currents, according to posted signage at the lone designated beach entrance — a narrow sandy path bordered by grasses and tall shrubbery.
Hunter Dortenzo, public information officer for the Maryland Natural Resources Police, told The Evening Enterprise that NRP officers were dispatched for a reported drowning at about 9:45 a.m. on Saturday.
“Upon arrival, officers and EMS [Emergency Medical Services] personnel found the adult male entered the water to rescue his son, who was being carried away by current,” Dortenzo wrote in an email Tuesday, July 7.
During the attempted rescue of his son, the man ingested water and also required assistance.
“Two good Samaritans on a small vessel retrieved both individuals and returned them to shore,” Dortenzo said in the email.
The father and son were already safely on the beach when first responders arrived, according to Dortenzo.
He said EMS personnel evaluated them, and neither required medical transport.
Dortenzo said the rescued pair were in a group of four people — two adults and two juveniles, all from Warwick in Cecil County.
“It doesn’t appear [that] they came by boat,” Dortenzo told The Evening Enterprise.
Because NRP was notified by Kent County 911, Dortenzo said he did not know who made the initial call for help.
Officers did not note any witnesses or other individuals on the beach, according to Dortenzo.
While the park at Still Pond Station has been a posted no-swimming area for several years, this is the first year that “dangerous currents” has been included on the signage, according to county Parks & Recreation Director Jill Coleman.
The beach is open to the public.
“We just don’t want people in the water,” Coleman said in a telephone interview earlier this week.
In an emailed statement Tuesday, Coleman said, “Following a near-drowning incident at Still Pond, Kent County Parks & Recreation is reminding the public that swimming is prohibited due to dangerous currents and unsafe water conditions.
“The no-swimming signage has been posted to clearly communicate the unsafe conditions and to help protect the safety of everyone. We ask all visitors to please respect the posted signs and avoid entering the water.”
